The Road to healing
by Rogue-Thirteen
Summary: I own nothing. This is a continuation of my previous one shot. Will Hermione and George find happiness after the war?


Hermione walked to the gate and waited. Someone was bound open it. She just hoped it wasn't someone that would ask too much about her current state. With a tear stricken face and tired looking eyes added to her usual wild head of brown curls, she knew it wouldn't take a trained eye to see that she was vulnerable.

Someone must have taken mercy on her somewhere, for the person to approach the gate was a house elf. "Good evening madam. Do you wish to come inside?" He opened the gate and let her walk onto the castle's grounds.

"Thank you very much. I would love to." Seeing the house elf, she wondered how they had been treated at Hogwarts recently. "What is your name, if I may ask." The kind elf stared at her bewildered. Obviously they still weren't used to being spoken to as equals. What a shame. "My name is Baeloth ma'am." Hermione couldn't help but smile at the elf's confusion. "Well Baeloth, it's very nice meeting you. My name's Hermione." She offered out her hand and he, after staring at it for a moment, shook it.

The rest of the walk toward the castle was awkward at first, but Hermione was determined to reassure the underappreciated elf that she was grateful for his company. "So how are you treated here? Is the castle back to how it was before the war?"

"Ma'am, I-"

"It's Hermione"

… "Hermione." He seemed to test the feel of the name. "Hermione, the school has finally been restored to its former glory, and we elves, like Baeloth, are treated better, but still mistreated my pureblood wizards."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I had hoped things would change."

"Baeloth wonders, why does Hermione treat us as equals?"

"Why shouldn't I? Is there anything that makes me superior to you?"

At these words, Baeloth stopped. "What's the matter Baeloth?"

"Nothing miss. I mean, Hermione." The elf looked down at his feet as he continued to walk. Hermione could tell what she had said had affected him somehow but didn't question further. Silence enveloped them, but they were okay with that. As they approached the castle doors, a figure appeared.

Minerva McGonagall.

"I think I must leave mis- Hermione"

"Thank you Baeloth for accompanying me. I hope to see you again. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With a warm smile, she saw the elf disappear.

"Good evening miss Granger. What brings you here?" From the look on her face, Hermione knew she was dying to ask if something was wrong. "Did you come to turn in homework?" a smirk spread through McGonagall's lips.

"Well Professor, I'm sure I turned everything in and then some"

"Very true my dear. Do you wish to accompany my for tea?"

"That would be lovely"

"Well come on in then."

They walked in silence, appreciating each other's company.

_How I missed this castle. This may have been my one true home. _Hermione thought. _Maybe I can ask if there's a spot available…_

George turned his room upside down searching for that list. Where could it be.

"Where the bloody hell is it?"

A thought came to him. He had stored it in a box at the back of his closet after Fred's death. He ran toward to the closet and ran into the wall at the end, momentarily forgetting he was a wizard, he shuffled around waving his arms around trying to feel the edges of the box. _What the bloody hell am I doing? I'm a wizard for Merlin's sake. _Stepping outside of the closet, he pulled out his want and said "accio box".

A small shoe box floated into his hands. He opened it and found a magical picture of him alongside his beloved twin. They had their arms around each other and wore their Weasely sweaters and matching smirks. He set it down and looked at the remaining contents, Fred's wand, the list and a curious little stone. List forgotten, he picked up the stone to examine it further, turning it in his hand. There was some sort of triangle on it.

"George?"

George froze. That voice only belonged to one person.

"…Fred?"

"In the flesh, or well, never mind. You know what I mean…"

He turned slowly and came face to face with his other half, his twin brother Fred.

**So what do you guys think so far? I decided to continue and show how both Hermione and George manage to move on. Read and review and I'll try and update soon.**


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